Korean students finished second behind Chinese counterparts in an English
proficiency test among 1.3 million foreign students in California State, a
report by U.S. education authorities said.

In the 2004 test known as CELDT, or California English Development Test,
Korean students had 63 percent in the top and second top brackets among five
levels of English proficiency. Chinese students had 64 percent.

Armenian students ranked third and Russian and Vietnamese fourth and
fifth.

The CELDT assesses listening and speaking skills for kindergarten and
first grade, and listening, speaking, reading and writing skills for grades two
through 12. The state requires English learners to take an English proficiency
test annually until they are reclassified to being fluent English proficient.

California has the greatest number of students whose primary language is
not English, according to a report by the education department.

The average score of English learners has increased by 22 percent in four
years - from 25 percent in 2001 to 47 percent in 2004.

"These results are a clear indication that statewide efforts to help all
students learn English as quickly as possible are working," said Jack O`Connell,
the state`s superintendent of public instruction.